Proposals for the regeneration of Salisbury’s landmark Cathedral Hotel received a positive welcome at a public consultation event.

The plans to breathe new life into the long-vacant property in Milford Street went on display at Salisbury Guildhall.

Residents, business people, the media, councillors and other stakeholders were among the visitors to view exhibition boards and talk to representatives.

Local business Larasian is bringing forward the renovation plans with the support of an expert project team, including KPPC.

Our planning director Adam Bennett was on hand to explain more about the project during the event along with Martin Dobbs and Sophie Macpherson from architects Corstorphine and Wright (formerly Brightspace Architects) and James Mallinson and Nicholas Roberts from stakeholder engagement company DevComms.

The proposals for the Cathedral Hotel will:

• Sensitively revitalise and save a long-term vacant local city centre landmark.
• Deliver a high-quality boutique hotel with 13 luxury suites, filling a crucial gap in Salisbury’s local hospitality market for leisure and business visitors.
• Feature a rooftop Spitfire Bar, envisioned as a tribute to all the local workers who bravely contributed to the war effort by secretly working on Spitfire components in Salisbury.
• Re-introduce a private landscaped courtyard restaurant, providing the perfect setting for al fresco dining for visitors and local.
• Provide an unrivalled guest experience with on-site treatment rooms for spa services, adding a wellness component to the guest experience.
• Include a lobby area and club room suitable for various functions and private hire events, supporting local businesses and local community gatherings.
• Provide a significant economic benefit to the city by generating new employment opportunities, drawing more visitors and in turn enabling a significant uplift in visitor spending, contributing to the city’s long-term economic stability.

The proposed Spitfire Bar would deliver unrivalled panoramic views of Salisbury and provide a premier attraction for the city. A replica Spitfire was on display to welcome visitors to the event. Please see pictures below taken by our planning director Adam Bennett.

Larasian was founded by Brian Currie, who was born, educated and has spent most of his life in Salisbury.  His parents, Florence Crouch and William Currie, met while working in a Salisbury factory making Spitfire parts.

The Cathedral Hotel was first constructed in 1594 and has evolved architecturally since then, especially with major expansion in 1929.

It was listed as a Grade II building in 1972 and was popular as an iconic hotel and destination for many years before closing in 1922.

A formal consultation website has gone live with digital versions of information boards from the event and the opportunity for to make comments.

Visit the website here.

ENDS